Vest-pocket camera.



M. NIBLL. A VEST POGKET CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1907. 904,005. Patented Nov. 1'?, 190s.

fig] fige M. NILL.

VEST POGKBT CAMERA.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY s, 1907.

904,005. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@Wi/bueyes ce A fue IIL To z 1A, uw g Q lm Q UNITED MAGNUS NIELL, .or NEW YORK, N. Y.

- Avirer-rocker emma.

I No. eo4,ooe.'

Speedication o1 Lettere` latent.

retained Nov'. 17, reos.

mutata; and In n, 1,90*/- Bnw Np. avam- To` all 'whom rit may concern:

Be it known that I, MAGNUS NTn-L, a subi ject of the King of Sweden, resid-ing at New i windin York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and .usefu Improvements in Vest-Pocket Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

This vinvention relates principe/lily to small photographic cameras conveniently desi-gnated as vest-pocket cameras and its general object is 'to increase the number of functions performed yby the instrument and improve the manner of their performance without increasing the size of the camera casing, which is preferably made to resemble that of a watch. These cameras as now known ordinarily embody a lens-tube in the f usual formand location ofthe watch-stem, and behind it a pcripherally-slidin-g Springactuated shutter provided with a setting ldevice and a releasingvca-tch or button, the camera Pfurther including an interior removable yfilm-holding rframe with take-up and let-ofi' rolls, occupying fthe whole rear half of fthe case xpposrte the lens, and suitable and registering devices for operating t e lm and indicating the number of exposures. Arnong'the defects of such prior cameras lare that there is-no convenient place within theta-sing for the location of a finder,

winch, if embodied, would add greatly to the instruments usefulness, and also that the provision 'for taking time exposures is inadequate. Moreover the Voutward projection of the lens-tube maybe considered as -a feature to be dispensed with iff possible.

In my present improvements I have not only provided for the location of Ithe -lens AwithinI the casing so as to be better protected,

but have `also transferred the film-holder to a diametric position and devised a new arrangement '.o'f the f ocal plane with relation to said holder so as to preserve an adequate focal distance. An improved 4interior removable rame retains lthe 'ilmJholder in place and also carries the lens. In fthe sector of thecasing op osite the lenslopening is situated a folding finder adapted to project from the lcasing when in use, and in -connection therewith I have devised Acertain improved shutter mechanism whereby Ithe setting eff the shutter for an exposure lreleases the finder and permits it cto assume its operative position. Associated with -the shutter is -a nove'l form of slide which may he 'retrusted to -uncover the lens and releasethe shatter, and Ithis slide V4may `be employed as a time-exposure device when the shutter has been properly neutralized; In the aormer place lof the lens-tube I may locate a knob and spindle connected by suitable mechanism with :the wind-.up roll -of the film and also with the registerin device, thus operatin like the stem-win ing `mechanism voff a wete 0f the Vaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view oi a .camera embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an :inverted horizontal section without the rollholder. Fig. 3 represents a diametric section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the finder extended. Fig. 4 represents an edge view showing the finder extended. Fig. 5 represents an inverted plan of the shutter setting and releasing parts. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section on the line 6-6 of. Fig.V 3 without the roll-holder, its frame and the casing cover. Fig. 7 represents a perspective View of the frame for theroll-holder.

Fig. 8 represents a perspective View of the roll-holder. Fig. 9 represents an inner face view of the shutter engaging and releasing parts. Fig. 10 represents an interior view of a Amodiiication with the roll-holder and its frame removed. Fig. 11 represents a perspective view of the shutter in this modifica'tion.

10 is a circular casing made to resemble a watch case with a peripheral rim portion 11, an integral top plate 12 and a removable cover 13. 1 s

14: is an inside ring between which and the rim portion 11 operate the shutter setting and releasing slides 46, 59, and 15 is an inside :top plate.

16 is the stem having a Winder 17 with a y toothed Winder-wheel 18 on the inner end of its arbor. This ltoothed wheel .engages a second toothed wheel 19 at right-angles and a trip-dog v2() (Fig. 1) on the arbor of the second wheel engages the lteeth of a registerwheel 21 whose numbers show 4through' an opening 22 at the top of the casing. The same arbor vhas a squared roll-winding post 23 to engage one of the lm rolls.

.24 is an elongated Iroll-holder of square section, land 25 is a sheet-metal removable frame, shown in detail in Fig. 7, of general circular 'form to 4iil'l the aperture of the casing, said trame ihaving a diametric trough '2601i the same form as the roll-holder into which said holder is fitted, and two wings 27, 27 to position this plate in the casing 'and to constitute an inside protective cover. In one side wall of the dlametric trough is a rectangular exposure-opening 28 (Figs. 2 and 3) and in the bottom of the trough is a hole 29 to receive the winding-post 23. Frame 25 also carries the lens 58 in the front wall of a truncated chamber 250, the lens being located in line with a pair of openings 62, 62() in the casing rim 11 yand. inner ring 14, which openings may for convenience be termed the exposing aperture. The sides of the lens-chamber are slotted at 251 for the passage of the shutter-curtain between lens and iilm. By mounting the lens on the frame 25 it is maintained at a ixed focal distance from the lm in holder 24.

As best shown in Fig. 8 I make the rollholder 24 with two film-spool compartments 30, 30 at its ends and an exposure-compartment 31 in between, with one side open adjacent the exposure-opening 28.

32, 32 are the film-spools and 33 is the tilm-strip located adjacent the back wall of the exposure-compartment 31 and therefore distant from the front face of the roll-holder by substantially the width of said holder. It will be understood that the ilmenters land leaves the compartments 30 through narrow slots shown at 330 in Fig. 3. The take-up spool has a hollow squared winding-arbor 34 to fit over the squared winding-post 23 and the let-off spool has a suitable arbor 35 -acting as a journal. The package or box formed by this roll-holder may be' made of light card-board, thin wood or othersuitable material and is sealed at the edges after the film-element is in place, so as to be lightproof. The end or ends of the sensitive strip may be provided with black extensionstrips in a known manner, thus `enabling this film package to be loaded into the camera and removed in daylight. To get at the film for development the package may be destroyed.

A suitable finder 36 of ordinary construction is aiixed to an oval cover-plate 37 hinged at 38 to the top of the casing so that the finder when not in use may fold into the casing through an opening in the top-side wall thereof and then occupy the rear segment of the casing back of the roll-holder.

A spring 39 tends to throw the finder out to an operative position as shown in Figs. 3

and 4 whereV it stands at right-angles to the camera casing and may be used by looking down on its image-showing surface as the camera is held in a horizontal position. The frame of the finder has a stop 40 to arrest it in this position. The said finder frame also embodies a plate 41 at the front of the finder with a notch 42 in its edge adapted to engage a setting-lever 43 which constitutes a catch to hold the finder in its folded position, the notch hav-ing a beveled approach whereby it displaces and becomes automatically engaged with this lever. The settinglever lies fiat against the inner top plate of the casing and is pivoted on a stud 44 in the center of this plate. One end vofit has a projection 45 engaged by `an inward projection 450 on a segmental setting-slide 46 which reciproca-tes between the rim of the casing and the parallel inner ring 14, this setting-slide having an outward projection 460 extending through a slot 461 in the casing to be engaged by the operators finger in setting the shutter. 47 (Fig. 2) is a notch in the lower side of this slot for a time exposure.

The shutter as here shown is in the form of a curtain 48v operating along the front side of the roll-holder-trough and formedwith an exposure-opening 49 (Fig. 6). One

end of this curtain is fastened to a drum 50 spool 52 surrounding a fixed post 53 and a I helical spring 54 has one end attached to j the spool and e'xerts tension to wind the curtain up on the spool. The other end of the sprin is fixed to a gear pinion 55v (Figs. 2 and 6 meshing with a gear 56 on the arbor of an adjusting-plate 57 which is exposed outside of the Casin This plate has characters stamped on it indicating different shut.- ter speeds and may be rotated to adjust the tension of the spring 54.

Across the exposing aperture 62, 620 operates a segmental. slide 59 normally actuated in a lens-covering direction by a spring 65 (Fi s. 2 and 6). 60 Vis a spring catch stampecgi out ofthe inner ring 14 and adapted to engage a projection 61 on )the second arm of the settlng-lever 43 and to be released from such engagement by the action of a cam projection 63 on the slide 59. An outer projection 64 on this slide extends throu h a slot 66 in the casing-rim to be engagedg tom of this slot has at one end a notch 67 for holding the slide retracted during a time exposure.

The operation of taking an instantaneous picture lncludes the setting of the shutter and the release thereof, and in setting the shutter the finder is automatically released and projected into operative position. These events are brought about bythe-operator engaging the finger-projection 460 and throwlng the setting-slide 46 to its extreme position as indicated in Fig. 5. lThe slide `carries with it the setting-lever 43 u ntil the projection 61 thereon is -engaged by the spring catch 60 wherebythe shutter curtain 48 is wound up on drum 50 against the tension of the spring within spool 52. The first moveby the operators finger and the bot- 'ment of the setting-'lever 43 releases the Il merely the release of the finder is desire'd it may be performed b moving the settingslide 46 only a short istance without completely setting the shutter. When the shutter is set for an exposure it may be released by the operators finger engaging projection 64 on the lens cover-s ide 59 and moving said slide until the cam projection 63 throws the spring catch 60 out of engagement with .the setting-lever. In Fig. 5, projection 63 is just about to throw the catch. This frees the shutter and allows the curtain 48 to move its exposure-opening quickly across the focal space while the ens opening remains uncovered by slide 59. After that the operator releases the lens cover-slide 59 and spring 65 returns it to its normal position covering the exposing aperture. The return of the shutter returns the setting-lever 43 and the set-` ting slide 46 to their initial positions b the action of the shutter spring 54. The der 36 may now be folded inwardly and reen ged with the setting-lever.

- o make a time exposure the setting-slide 46 is moved until projection 460 enters the notch 47. This moves the opening in the shutter curtainto an exposing position o posite the lens and the exposure may then made b retraetin and releasing the slide 59, its rejection 64 veing en" ged in notch 67 if esired, to hold the sli e open for a long exposure. After the time exposure is made, the projection 460 may be released from notch 47 and the shutter allowed to' return.-

It will be noted that I have combined in one member, namely the slide 59, two functions, namely that of a cover for the lens to prevent an exposure while the opening in the shutter is being moved past the lens during the setting movement of said shutter, and that of a trip or release for liberating the shutter, thus enabling the lens to be uncovered and the shutter released by one operation, but I do not wholly confine myself to this arrangement. v Y

After an exposure the film ma be moved to be ready for a new exposure y rotating the winder 17 as previously described.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a modification differing principally in the construction of the shutter and its operating mechanism and in the omission of the stem winder for operating the film strip. In this case the film may be shifted in any a proved manner. The film-roll holder and its frame which are removed in this view, may be of the same construction as previously described except that inthe roll-holder frame 25 the slots 251 for the passage of the curtain shutter employed in the previous forni are preferably omitted.

68 isthe shutter-slide of segmental form mounted between the rim and inner ring soeces and' having a finger-projection 69 at one end and theshutter 690- at the other end. `70 is a catch-lever for locking and releasing the finder 36, said lever having a projection4 71 at the end of the slot in which -projection 69 moves, to be engaged at the completion o f the shutter-setting. movement or engaged independently by the operators n- 72 is the spring for lever 70.

73 is a shutter-retracting helical spring having one end fixed tothe casing and the other end fixed to the shutter while its inter'- mediate portion passes around a guide-post 74 on an arm of the lever 70- so as to exert a tangential pull on the shutter through a substantial range of movement. 75 is the spring shutter-catch adapted to engage the rear edge of shutter 690 and 76 is an outside lens cover-slide having an inner cam projection 77 to release the catch 75, an outer fingerprojection 78, and a retracting spring 79.

I claim:

1. A photographic camera having a casing of watch-case form with an exposing aperture' in its rim, a substantially diametric film-roll holder within the casing, and a folding finder occupying the rear segment of the casing and adapted to be projected outwardly from the casing into operative position.

2. A photographic camera comprising a casing with substantially parallel sides and a peripheral wallor rim formed with an exposing aperture, a film-roll holder extending substantially across the middle of the casing, and a finder at the rear of said holder hinged to fold within the casing -or to stand out theiefrom in operative position.

3. A photographic camera comprising a casing having an exposing aperture, shutter mechanism, and a folding finder controlled by said shutter mechanism.

4. A photographic camera comprising a casing, a finder normally folded within the same and yieldingly projected into operative position, an exposing shutter, and shutteroperating means adapted to automatically release said finder from its folded position.

' 5. A photographic camera comprising a casing, a Ender hin ed thereto, a spring to project said Vfinder into. operative position, an exposin shutter, and means controlled by the setting of said shutter for automatically releasing the finder.

6. A photographic camera comprising a casing, an exposing shutter, shutter-setting and releasing devices, and a folding finder adapted to be automatically projected into operative position bythe operation of setting the shutter.

7. A photographic camera comprising a. casing of watch-case form having a rim and side walls, a folding finder operating through an opening in one of 4'said side walls, and

frame havin shutter mechanism including a segmental shutter-setting sl'lde mounted on sald rlm and adapted to :automatically cause the projection of said-lnder into operative position.

8. A .photographic cameracomprising a ca sing,}a-'folding finder adapted t`o be automatically projected `into operative position, and-shutter mechanism including a shutter- 'setting device adapted to cause such projection of the finder, said finder being also capable of projection at Will without sett-ing the shutter.

9. A photographic camera comprising a lsubstantially circular casing having a cover to open and close it, a'removable roll-holder a substantially diametric trough, a Seli-'contained roll-holder removably mounted in said trough, and devices ac-v cessible from the outside of the casing for operating said roll-holder.v y

10. A photographic camera' comprising a -casing of watch-case form, a film-roll holder diametricallyA mounted therein, devices accessible from the outside of said casing for i' with a lens, and a film-holder removably mounted in'said frame and having means for connecting With the film-operating mechanism. 12. A photographic camera comprising a casing of Watch-case form having an exposing aperture in its rim, a curtain Shutter in said casing having a. retracting yspring and a cord and pulley for setting the shutter, a setting-lever Within the casing having one arm attached to said cord, catch mechanism to engage said arm, and a segmental setting-slide mounted on the rim' of the casing and engaging another arm-of the lever.

13. A photographic camera comprising a casing of Watch-case form having opposite side Walls and having a rim formed With an exposing aperture, a lens, a curtain shutter in said casing operating back of the lens and rolled at bot-h ends, a spool at one rolled end of said shutter, a retracting spring Within said spool, and mechanism mounted on one of said side Walls and accessible from the outside thereof for varying. the retractive tension of said spring.

14. A photographic camera comprising a casing ofwatch-case form having opposite side Walls and having a rim formed with an exposing aperture, shutter mechanism, a progressively-moving sensitive device Within the casing adapted to receive a succession of exposures, a stem projecting outwardly from said rim and having a Winder, and

mechanism connecting said Winder With the sensitive device for operating the latter.

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, the eighth day .of May, 1907.

. MAGNUS NILL.

Witnesses:

G. W. HOPKINS, R. M. PIERsoN. 

